However, as an emerging technology, APT has many artefacts and completely lacks standardisation in terms of sample preparation, experimentation and data analysis. Hence, metrology approaches need to be developed to exploit its staggering properties for the characterisation of complex structures and to circumvent typical artefacts arising in these systems such as non-uniform magnifications, blurred interfaces and deviations in shape and size of nano structures.

Similarly, the chemical imaging of highly integrated and stacked 3D-inorganic devices using ToF SIMS suffers from artefacts and distortions induced by topography and differences in sputter rates between different materials, which need to be corrected in an accurate, reliable and reproducible manner. To accomplish these tasks, novel technology, such as in-situ SPM imaging, is exploited in this work package using 3D TopoSIMS. Its application will also be transposed to similar problems in Work Package 2.

Within this work package, we also address fundamental work on GCIB required for the successful completion of Work Package 2. Whilst GCIB-beams are now recognised as the best approach for organic systems, they do represent a very different performance on inorganic systems. To analyse mixed systems (for instance inorganic particles embedded in an organic system), GCIB behaviour on inorganic systems also needs to be understood.

The research within this EURAMET joint research project receives funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme and the EMPIR Participating States.